


Steele on the Move

by NorahBolt56



Series: Steeling the Past [2]
Category: Remington Steele (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-12-19 01:26:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11887005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorahBolt56/pseuds/NorahBolt56
Summary: This is part of my 'Steeling the Past' series and focuses on Mr Steele back in his 'Harry' days (before he became Remington Steele), interspersed with some of his current thoughts as Remington. This fanfic piece explores some of Harry's adventures around the world, in particular his days in Greece (thank you to the writers of 'Red Holt Steele' for the parts of that episode I have referenced/borrowed from in this piece). For those who have not read my first fanfic "Steele Stringed Hearts' (in which the character of Kate O'Casey/Kelly was introduced), Kate was 'Harry's' first love when they were teenagers back in London, who he had left some years before this piece is set. In this part of the story Harry is still somewhat trying to forget his first love by getting involved with a lot of women, but never committing to any.. that is until he meets the love of his life, Laura Holt.





	1. Chapter 1

_As Remington Steele sat in his office he found his thoughts going back to his past..1978 to be exact.._

Harry sat in a Greek Taverna on Santorini, lost in thought while he sipped his ouzo. Occasionally, such as on nights like this, he found himself thinking back over his 26 years.  He had certainly seen a lot of the world over the past 8 years or so since he’d left London with Daniel. They had first headed to Europe - France, then Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, wherever their next ‘job’ took them. After a few years though, wanderlust had gotten the better of him and he’d bade Daniel a fond farewell, although they still kept in touch as well as they could, and struck out on his own. His travels had taken him to many different countries, where he’d had many different occupations – some on the right side of the law but many not, leading him to be constantly on the move, trying to keep one step ahead of the local authorities. So far he’d been lucky – he’d never been caught, but he’d had more than a few close calls.

In his early twenties he had found himself boxing in Brazil, honing the skills he’d developed as a young street kid on the streets of Dublin & Brixton. When his trainer Barney Kiernan had drunk all his winnings away he had tried his hand at gold prospecting in the Yucatan region in Mexico, hoping to strike it lucky to replace what Barney had taken from him. He’d had a bit of luck there and then Daniel had got in touch asking for his help again. So he’d headed back to Europe and then to Australia, picking up a new passport and a new identity along the way.  As he moved from place to place he switched between identities, whenever he needed a new alias to escape from the authorities, or more often than not, another woman who wanted more from him than he was prepared to give.

Luck had been on his side when he’d heard that the famed Marchasa collection was in Mexico City and he had successfully stolen it, managing to give the local police the slip by the skin of his teeth. Richard Blaine then switched identities back to Michael O’Leary as he beat a hasty retreat from Mexico, ending up in Barbados. He remembered with a smile meeting a young fellow there by the name of Monroe who was in the same ‘line of work’, the two of them becoming fast friends and partners in crime for a while, getting into their fair share of scrapes together, as well as having a lot of fun. He made a mental note to get in touch with him again soon and see what his old friend was up to.

And now here he was in Greece, working as a shiphand for a smuggler by the name of Marcos Androkos. He’d been there for a few months and whilst he was enjoying the Greek summer and making a bit of money, he had begun to feel that familiar restlessness again. He didn’t like to get too comfortable anywhere or with anyone – not since…. .He stopped his train of thought right there as memories came unbidden into his head, as they still did from time to time. Memories of a young girl, his first love, with eyes as green as the fields of his homeland that he had left far behind as a young boy a lifetime ago. He’d given his heart to her and where had that got him, he thought a little bitterly to himself. As he downed the ouzo in one hit, trying to block the memories, he muttered under his breath, “Get out of my head O’Casey,” as he shook his head ruefully, amazed that she would still pop into his thoughts from time to time after all these years.

Deciding he needed more of a distraction than just alcohol, he looked around the taverna that was jampacked with people, all there at the party Marcos had thrown to celebrate his finally getting the tanker he had dreamt of getting since he had been a boy of twelve. It would be arriving the next morning. He’d lost count of the number of people Marcos had introduced him to that night, most of whom seemed to be related to him in some way – Harry swore the man’s family must have included half of Greece.  It didn’t take him long to spy a very lovely looking distraction – a raven haired, olive skinned young Greek beauty, dressed in a white, rather low cut dress he noticed with a smile. With more than a degree of satisfaction he noticed that her gaze was also fixed on him as he caught her eye and flashed her a smile that had the intended effect as she smiled back at him. Oh yes, she would do nicely – another conquest on his very long list, he thought to himself as he went to get up and walk over to her. The girl watched in admiration as the handsome, dark haired young man went to get up from his seat. He was tall and lean, dressed casually in light cotton pants and a white shirt that was half unbuttoned, and even from a distance away she could see his deep blue eyes and the bit of stubble he had on his face, which she found very attractive.

Just as he went to get up though, Marcos came up to him and clapped him on the shoulder, his gold tooth gleaming as he grinned at him. “Xenos – here you must drink! Tonight Xenos, we are peasants but tomorrow eh, tomorrow we are tycoons eh?” he exclaimed as he handed him a glass of wine. Marcos had been watching the young man for the last few minutes as he sat lost in thought, wondering not for the first time, about the blue eyed stranger with the mysterious past who had turned up at the pier a few months ago looking for work. He had never spoken about his family or his past and had hesitated a bit when he had first asked him his name. “Never mind, as long as you work hard I don’t care what your name is – I will call you Xenos, it is Greek for stranger,” he had informed the young Englishman. At least he thought he was English – his accent certainly sounded like that although from time to time it would lapse into something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

Actually Marcos had to admit that young ‘Xenos’ seemed to have a flair for accents – he had even heard him do a passable Greek one when he’d caught him impersonating him in front of the other ship hands one day. The young man had apologised to him profusely, worried he had angered him and was going to lose his job, but Marcos had simply laughed and patted him on the shoulder. “You could almost pass for me you know my young friend – if you were better looking,” he had said to him with a huge grin. “Now back to work eh? I’m not paying you for nothing!”

Although the young man worked hard enough, only needing the occasional reminder (“Harder Xenos – work harder! Don’t you want us all to be rich eh?” he would say to him) Marcos got the impression that he hadn’t done much labouring work in his life. His hands with their long, slender fingers were not the tough, worn hands of a manual labourer, but the hands of an artist. Once when a lock had become jammed on one of the cargo holds on his ship he had observed the young man deftly pick it with a speed and skill that suggested he had done it numerous times before. He had also spied him on a break one day, sketching the harbour in front of him, exhibiting a considerable talent for that as well. He wondered what he had done and where he had been previously. Occasionally, such as at times like this, he had observed a haunted look momentarily cross the young man’s face that spoke of great pain and regret, and he couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to him in his relatively young life to cause that. But his past was not something Xenos was very forthcoming about, so Marcos guessed it would remain a mystery.

One thing that wasn’t a mystery though was the effect the handsome, charming young man had on the local women. Marcos had observed he seemed to have a different one every night, all of them willingly falling under the spell of the blue eyed stranger. As Xenos thanked him for the wine Marcos noticed his gaze was focused on yet another young woman across the room. “Come Xenos – you must dance!” he laughed as he steered him towards the crowd dancing the Sirtaki in the middle of the room. Young Xenos went to protest but Marcos would have none of it. “The young lady you have your eye on would love to see you dance no? Trust me, Greek women know how to dance and expect their men to as well – especially if you have plans to indulge in the ‘dance of love’ with her eh?” Marcos said with a knowing wink.

The young man followed him and not entirely by chance found himself next to the young lady who had caught his eye. “Kalispera,” he greeted her, his blue eyes twinkling at her as she smiled and returned the greeting.

“You speak Greek?” she asked in English with some surprise.

“Only a little,” he replied then added with a mischievous lopsided grin, ”but I’m always open to learning a new tongue.”

The girl smiled at his innuendo as they began dancing. “I could perhaps teach you a thing or two,” she replied, giving him a smouldering look.

“Oh I’m sure you could – and I you,” he quipped as he cocked an eyebrow at her and she laughed.

“I’m Elina by the way,” she introduced herself.

“I’m Xenos,” he replied as she looked at him curiously.

“Xenos?” she asked as he nodded, his blue eyes holding hers intently. “I see – well Mister blue eyed stranger, nice to meet you,” she added with a smile which he returned.

Once the traditional dance had ended some more modern pop & rock music started playing. Harry/Xenos took Elina into his arms, pulling her against his body. “You’re a very good dancer,” she commented as he thanked her with a grin and said with a promising look,”That’s not all I’m good at,” as he ran a hand up and down her back, then a little lower.

Elina smiled as she linked her arms around his neck. “Oh really? What else are you good at?” she challenged him, her dark eyes sparkling with desire.

“This for starters,” he breathed as he brought his lips to hers and she pressed herself against him as the kiss quickly deepened. They had been kissing for a while and Harry was just about to suggest they leave when the song playing changed and he heard a very familiar voice blaring out from the speakers, a voice he preferred to forget. He momentarily pulled his mouth away from Elina’s, taking a breath as he tried to focus on the here and now and not let his mind slip back to the past.

“Oh I love this song!” Elina exclaimed. “Have you heard it? It’s from that band, KK and the Beat. Do you know them?”

Elina was a bit confused by the look that momentarily crossed ‘Xenos’s face when she said that. “Ah yes I do know them,” he replied somewhat awkwardly as Elina started singing along to the song.

_Baby touch me in the night_

_You know you make me feel alright_

_No-one else can do it like you_

_Make me feel the things you do_

“That KK - she’s English like you hey?” she asked as Harry momentarily focused his gaze on the ground.

“No she’s not – she’s Irish actually, as am I,” he replied hurriedly as she looked at him curiously, at his sudden change of mood. “C’mon let’s get out of here,” he suddenly said as he grabbed her hand and started pushing his way through the crowd, wanting to get as far away from Kate’s voice and the memories it stirred within him as he could.

Marcos spied him and called out to him “Xenos – don’t forget to be at the pier at dawn eh to watch my tanker come in!”, his excitement at the prospect showing in his wide toothy grin.

“Of course Marcos – wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Harry/Xenos replied as he waved at Marcos then continued on his determined course.

“Where are we going?” Elina asked with a laugh once they got outside as she struggled to keep up with him. He looked around and spied a deserted little alleyway just down from the taverna.

“There,” he replied as he gave her a meaningful look. She nodded in agreement, both of them knowing what they wanted and neither prepared to wait any longer…


	2. Chapter 2

Harry pressed Elina up against a wall in the alleyway, his mouth plundering hers and his hands all over her. She ran her hands over the thick dark hair on his chest as she undid a few more of his buttons as he did to the front of her dress. As his hands found her breasts she moaned against his lips.

“What is your real name? It feels strange to call you ‘Xenos’,” she murmured as his kisses trailed down her neck.

“Pick a name, any name – it doesn’t matter,” he muttered as he ran a hand up her leg. “In fact why are we even talking at all?” he added a little impatiently, and as his hand travelled higher she suddenly didn’t care what his name was, or about talking at all as he had said. Their need for each other was quickly overwhelming the both of them.

He was glad his hand found her ready for him as he didn’t feel like he could wait to indulge in much foreplay. This was not a relaxed, unhurried session of love making – in fact Harry could only recall ’making love’ to one woman in his young life, and that was a lifetime ago. With all the rest since her it had just been sex – just fulfilling a physical need, no emotional ties, no attachments.  And at times such as this, he let that ‘wild boy’ part of him that he had once been, that still lurked deep within him, out.

Instead of the refined, suit clad, debonair young gentleman Daniel had taught him to be, the uncouth, untamed, angry young man he had once been made a reappearance. It was the same part of him that had enabled him to have a successful if shortlived boxing career in South America – he would fight like a dog as he once had for his very survival on the mean streets of Brixton. It was the same part of him that lost control when he and his new found friend Monroe had been confronted by some local heavies in Barbados – they had suffered some injuries true, but he had given as good as he got. He wondered momentarily if that had been part of the reason he had decided to part ways with Daniel – feeling too restricted, not able to freely let that part of himself out.

_As his thoughts momentarily returned to the present, a wry grin crossed Remington’s face as he remembered the first time he had lost control in front of Laura – when a morgue attendant had been disrespecting the memory of his good friend Wallace. He had grabbed the guy and told him through gritted teeth, in no uncertain terms about the type of man Wallace had been. If Laura hadn’t been there he was pretty sure he would have punched the guy’s lights out. In the limo together after leaving the morgue, Laura had remarked to him that “tonight you looked like a Harry,” and a rueful look had crossed his face as he thought to himself how right she was, even though at the time she didn’t know that had been one of the names he had used during a time in his life. The behaviour he’d displayed that night had indeed been very in keeping with the ‘Harry’ phase of his life._

_His thoughts then drifted to the past again.._

Elina’s hand travelled down to his belt buckle, undoing it and impatiently pushing his pants down as he did the same to her underwear. “Do you have something?” she breathed as she momentarily tore her mouth away from his. A grin crossed his face as he pulled a condom out of his shirt pocket and she grinned back at him.

“It pays to be prepared I find,” he quipped as he quickly ripped the packet open and sheathed himself with it with a practised ease. And then he was inside her, pulling her legs up around his waist as she moved urgently with him, running her hands through his hair as he pinned her against the wall, shutting his eyes momentarily to stop the memories flooding in of the first time he had ever been with a girl like that. With each push forward his body made it felt like he was trying to push the memories away, until he quickly found his release and all thoughts momentarily left his head. From her satisfied moan and the way her body contracted around his, he gathered Elina had got there as well and he felt a small moment of guilt that he hadn’t really been concerned with whether she did or not.

He raised his head to look at her as she smiled at him and whispered something in Greek he didn’t understand.

“That was…,” she then went to say in English.

“Incredible,” he finished for her with a lopsided grin, his blue eyes twinkling at her, as she nodded and they then drew apart and fixed up their clothes.

He offered to walk her home, thinking that would be the gentlemanly thing to do.

When they got to her door she looked at him and said “I’d invite you in but my housemate is home I’m afraid.”

“That’s okay – I have an early start in the morning anyway,” he replied, somewhat glad he didn’t have to come up with an excuse to not come in. He didn’t want her thinking he was interested in anything more than a one-night stand.

“I had a good time..Xenos..thankyou,”  she added with a smile as she kissed him.

“I had a good time too Elina,” he replied as he kissed her back.

“Perhaps we could do it again some time?” she asked hopefully.

 He looked down at the ground for a moment then shook his head. “I’m afraid we ship out tomorrow – I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”

Elina looked rather disappointed so he flashed her his most charming smile, wanting to let her down easy, as he kissed her one more time and said “I’ll never forget this night”, then he said goodbye and walked away. You’re certainly making a habit of that sport, he thought wryly to himself as he disappeared into the night…


	3. Chapter 3

After walking Elina home Harry went back to the small flat he was sharing with another ship hand, Stavros, who was snoring loudly. ”Great,” Harry muttered under his breath, tempted to throw a pillow (or something harder) at him. Once he’d tumbled into bed he tossed & turned, unable to sleep and not only because of his flat mate’s snoring. While he’d certainly enjoyed his time with Elina it still left him feeling a bit hollow. But he wasn’t prepared to let emotions get in the way again and risk breaking someone else’s heart, or his own for that matter – it was easier that way he’d decided.

He finally fell into a restless sleep but it seemed to Harry he had not been asleep for long when Stavros was shaking him awake. “Xenos! Come on! We must get down to the pier to watch Marcos’s tanker come in,” he said as Harry awoke with a splitting headache from the amount he’d had to drink the night before, plus the lack of sleep. He was tempted to roll over and go back to sleep but he knew Marcos would never forgive him if he missed his big moment. Plus he wanted him and the other ship hands all there to load every nook and cranny of that tanker with the contraband he’d been engaged to smuggle out that night.

He dragged himself up and quickly jumped in the shower & dressed then he & Stavros headed down to the pier, just as the sun was coming up. Marcos and the other ship hands, plus several of Marcos’s relatives were gathered there to watch the tanker arrive.  “Look Xenos – there she is!” he greeted the young man excitedly. “I have been dreaming of this day since I was a boy of twelve!”.

As the tanker drew slowly closer, Marcos’s gold toothed grin got even wider and then for a moment the ship seemed to stop, when it looked to be less than two miles away. Suddenly a huge explosion ripped through the side of the hull, the sound and the sight shocking everyone on the pier, a collective gasp escaping everyone’s lips, then the pier became so quiet they could hear each other breathe as they watched the tanker slowly sink.  Harry looked at Marcos, worried how he was going to react to seeing his lifelong dream being ripped away from him when he had been so close to finally attaining it.

Marcos then started to laugh, a huge, full bellied laugh that took them all by surprise – that was the last thing anyone had expected him to do. As Harry stared at him in disbelief he felt himself getting angry – the bloke had just watched his dream, his livelihood, go down in flames and he was laughing??

“Why are you laughing?” Harry screamed furiously at him.

At that Marcos composed himself and then turned to him and said as he gave him a meaningful look, “Because from now on Xenos, everything is new again eh? Just think of the possibilities eh? Think of the possibilities..”.

Harry looked at him, still a little incredulously, but recognised the wisdom in his words. Wasn’t that exactly how he lived his life – moving from place to place, life to life, as the need arose? No matter how often life had knocked him down he had always managed to pick himself up again and keep on going – after all, that was really the only choice you had, he reflected. And as he stood there on that pier he wondered, what now? Where would he go, what would he do, now that it appeared he was out of a job? But as Marcos had said, he thought of the possibilities that awaited him, wondering where the future may take him..

Later that day Harry went to find Marcos to tell him he had decided to leave Greece and move on. As he had done the night before Marcos found himself momentarily watching the young blue eyed stranger. “You have a restless heart Xenos,” he observed as Harry shot him a wry grin. “Always running – but you will have to stop one day my young friend,” Marcos went on as he gave him a knowing look.

At that Harry looked at the ground then looked up at the older man. “How will I know when to stop?” he asked seriously. ‘When your heart has found its true home,” Marcos replied wisely as he smiled at him.

“Tell me Xenos – have you ever been in love? I know you have a way with women but have you ever really loved one?” he asked as Harry looked at him a little curiously then nodded.

“I thought as much. Your eyes show your pain, your regret. Did you have your heart broken?” Marcos went on.

At that Harry sighed and shook his head. “No – but I broke someone else’s,” he admitted ruefully as Marcos nodded.

“Ah that can feel even worse my friend,” he agreed. “But you cannot run from your guilt forever Xenos – you must face it, then let it go. Otherwise you will always be living in the past and may miss the possibilities of your future,” Marcos stated sincerely as he clapped the younger man on the shoulder then hugged him. “Take care my young friend,” he bade him farewell with a grin as Harry smiled and thanked him and bade him farewell as well then left, looking forward to the possibilities that lay ahead of him...

_As Remington’s thoughts once again returned to the present he wondered, not for the first time, if his heart had finally found it’s true home. After all, he had been in Los Angeles, with Laura, for the past almost three years – longer than he had ever spent in one place before. But after the agreement they had made in Cannes he wasn’t sure where he stood with her anymore. He knew deep down, that despite his best intentions, she had captured his heart. He had spent the better part of his life running from love and what it could do to you, but it seemed it had finally caught up with him…_


	4. Epilogue

Before he got onboard the boat to Athens, Harry picked up an English newspaper. He flicked through it as he took a seat on the outside deck, wondering where he should head to next. One article in particular caught his eye about a rare art exhibition opening in Florence in a few days. A grin crossed his face as he thought to himself, ‘I think you’ve just found your next port of call, sport.”

Upon disembarking in Athens he made his way to the train station and bought a ticket to Florence, Italy. He grabbed some lunch then boarded the train, grabbing a window seat. Staring out the window lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice the tall, elegant blonde woman who entered the carriage, but she certainly noticed him.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” she asked him in a cultured English accent, an alluring smile crossing her face.

He looked up to see the stunning woman standing before him as he smiled back at her, his blue eyes sparkling at her.“No, it isn’t – please, be my guest,” he replied politely as he gestured for her to sit down next to him.

“Thank you,” she practically purred as her smile got wider, then she added, “I’m Felicia by the way.”

“Pleased to meet you Felicia,” he stated as he took her hand in his and kissed it, laying on the charm. “I’m Michael.. Michael O’Leary,” he introduced himself, thinking it was time to change personas again, as Felica looked at him intently.

“Well I’m very pleased to meet you too Michael,” she replied in a flirtatious tone, holding onto his hand for a moment or two.

“So, what are you heading to Florence for Felicia – business or pleasure?” ‘Michael’ asked as he cocked an eyebrow mischievously at her.

“Oh, a bit of both hopefully darling,” Felicia laughed as she gave him a meaningful look then asked, “And you?”

“Me? Oh I’m just going for the art,” he quipped with a lopsided grin as Felicia smiled and said “You know Michael darling, I think we’re going to get along very well…”.


End file.
